Foraging grounds of southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) on the Patagonian shelf

Abstract

During the 1999 and 2000 breeding seasons we used satellite telemetry to track the foraging movements of four southern giant petrels (Macronectes giganteus) nesting on an island off the Argentine coast (45°08′, 66°03′). Three of the four individuals foraged east/southeast of the colony, over the middle continental shelf and the shelf break, between 43° and 51°S. The fourth individual remained in coastal areas to the south and lost the device after 15.5 days at sea. The maximum linear distance from the nest reached during a single foraging trip was 552 km. All birds were able to fly more than 400 km in 1 day, with a maximum of 513 km recorded. The maximum total distance covered in a single foraging trip was 2,540 km. Findings of this study emphasise the importance of the Patagonian continental shelf as foraging grounds for top predators in the South Atlantic Ocean.